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Trying to find documents regarding building plans can sometimes prove a daunting task. There appear to be many roadblocks to finding the right documents, but in reality it is an easy task if a person knows the correct way to look for them.

1.

Determine whether the proposed building is in a municipality or a county. This will help the researcher know where to start looking for the documents. It is important to know the correct street address. If there is a construction sign on the property, write down as much information as possible, including phone numbers, zoning data or permit forms.

2.

Go to the city or county's website to see what kinds of documents are on the Internet. For example, look for plans under the building codes section, the zoning section, planning department or upcoming meeting sections. Any or all of these could have data on potential projects.

3.

Go to the county or municipality's offices to look for the documents in person if they are not online. Under federal law, plans for any project that has been approved or are being considered are open to the public free of charge. Depending on the agency, a researcher may have to pay a fee to make copies. Remember to have information about the project--the address, developers, architects, map numbers--to help staff find the plans.

4.

Call the developer, builder and/or architect. It is possible a project may be in the discussion phase and not have gone to a government agency for approval. If that is the case, calling one or all three of those parties may yield some answers on plans.

5.

Look for leaks. Quite basically, someone may have put out information on building plans sooner than expected. Check a company's website for renderings, look on development discussion sites for people talking about the project or talk to builders in the community to learn whether they have seen anything.

Tip

Under the federal Freedom of Information Act, a person does not have to say why he is requesting document views.